To the Editor: I must take issue with the recent letter from Barbara Carter about the custodians in the West Milford school system. First of all, the average pay for NJ custodians is not $23,000, not for full time ones. Secondly, the custodians today are not the “janitors” of yesterday, who just dusted, swept and mopped. If an outside firm is hired in a school system, they will get just that, meaning that additional people will have to be hired to do all that present day custodians do every day and all that, will end up costing more than the present custodial salaries. In case you are not aware of this, custodians work when schools are closed, on snow days and during the summer, as these are 12-month positions, so they are far from being overpaid. An outside firm would not do the repairs necessary to keep the schools open and operating safely, such as in the bathrooms, kitchens, cafeterias, offices, etc. When a light fails or a toilet backs up, they are there to fix it, instead of waiting for someone else to be called. Also, the majority of them live in town and therefore pay property taxes here. Yes, classes are getting bigger and that means more work for the custodians as well. No school system can operate with administrators and teachers only. A complete, well paid, dedicated support staff is necessary such as custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, bus drivers, aides, nurses, etc. Additionally, since 9/11, there are a lot more safety and emergency measures in place which involve all support personnel. Having people working in our schools who are also involved in our town makes for a better situation on all fronts. These people know the children and their parents as well as their co-workers and have a real interest in their well-being, unlike strangers from an outside firm, who will come in to clean and leave. Mrs. Carter seems to have a personal axe to grind, so she berates the entire custodial staff without knowing the facts. That is unfair and very misleading to the uninformed. How do I know so much? My husband John has been a custodian since 1994 and got the position on his own qualifications. His contract may say he works 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., but believe me, it is a lot more, due to all he must do, set up classrooms, monitor the boilers and water system, set up for school functions, and too much more to mention. To me, the job is more like 24/7, as there is also a lot of record-keeping and other paperwork involved. Presently, he is the head custodian at Westbrook School and I am proud of his dedication to his school, to the children and to the staff members. The support personnel in our schools deserve respect and support for all they do. It is long overdue. Eleanor Monahan West Milford